Australia have been dealt a significant blow in the ongoing Ashes, with Josh Hazlewood officially ruled out of the remainder of the series due to persistent hamstring and Achilles injuries. The announcement came on Tuesday, with head coach Andrew McDonald confirming that the experienced pacer, who had already missed the first two Tests, would not take part in the final three matches.
McDonald admitted the setback was unexpected and challenging for the team and Hazlewood. “Really flat for him. A couple of setbacks that we didn’t see coming. We thought he’d play a huge part in the series, but really feel for him that he won’t get that opportunity,” the coach said.
With the Ashes no longer an option, Hazlewood will now shift his focus toward regaining full fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next February. In better news for Australia, Pat Cummins is expected to return as captain for the third Test in Adelaide next week.
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The 32-year-old fast bowler has been recovering from a lower back injury suffered during the West Indies tour in July. McDonald revealed that Cummins has been steadily building his workload and recently completed a simulated match session at Allan Border Field, which has given the management confidence about his readiness.
🚨 Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the remainder of #Ashes2025, will now focus on being fully fit for the T20 World Cup pic.twitter.com/y4dHIqc0lX
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) December 9, 2025
“This is something we’ve done with Pat before during long layoffs—taking time to rebuild his body,” Andrew McDonald explained. “He simulated pretty much what a match looks like with multiple spells, and he was well ahead of where we thought he’d be. It even created a real conversation about him playing in Brisbane.”
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Mitchell Starc, Australia’s standout bowler so far with 18 wickets across the first two Tests, is expected to be fit despite dealing with a minor left-side niggle during the Gabba Test. McDonald confirmed that Starc has recovered well and should be available for the crucial Adelaide encounter.
